Darker Days
by Shift
Summary: What happens to Zelda in those seven years that Link is sealed away? As if living as boy wasn't hard enough, a murderer has found its way into the Sheikan midst. Now it's Zeldas chance to be a hero . . .
1. Default Chapter

**Legal blurb** – I have made no money, therefore it is not mine. Honestly people, I think everyone understands that no one here owns Zelda or any of its characters and games. I'm not even sure anyone reads the disclaimers anyway, I certainly don't.

**Okay then**, I started this story back when I was known as Ookami, things have obviously changed in my rather long absence, my name is now **Shift** for one, and for a second I'm completely redoing my stories, mostly just correcting mistakes, fixing stuff, adding stuff where needed and changing things that really made no sense. So its not going to change anything in the plot, at least not the plot I've set up thus far, the ending I had planned is simply different. 

As those who've read my stuff before have noticed (all two of you ;P) I have trouble with procrastination, please, feel free to e-mail me with flames and rants and insults at your own discretion. It actually helps me get back on task.

Also, I am seriously gonna try to not fall into a slump like last time, and by try I mean I won't, there are consequences now. Anywho, on with the show.

**ONE MORE THING**

I have borrowed some characters and things from Lady Rose and her story "The Return", if you haven't read it check it out, its great -

And I'm dedicating this renewal to my Dog **Pudgy**, who died recently, may there be plenty of tennis balls for him in heaven.

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Chapter one

If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience. Robert Fulghum

--------------------------------

It's been almost four years since Impa took me from the castle after Ganondorf's takeover. Almost four years since the Triforce mark appeared on my right hand, and Kaepora told me I was a sage... since Link was sealed into the sacred realm.  
  
I still blame myself. I was young and stupid. I had honestly thought that Link and I could save Hyrule, that we could get into the sacred realm and take the Triforce so Ganondorf wouldn't get his hands on it. Because of my stupidity I had Link gather the spiritual stones, and practically handed the Triforce to Ganondorf on a silver tray.  
  
After we escaped Impa took me through one of the lost doors and into the Kokari forest, from there we went through another door and found ourselves in Goron city.  
  
We stayed there all this year; hidden from all the Gorons with the exception of Darunia, Impa gave me Sheikah styled clothes, and taught me all about her people. She wanted me to be able to live alone amongst them without giving away my secret, without her help. Then she took me to the top of Death Mountain, to Kaepora, and he taught me how to use my sage powers and my part of the Triforce to hide myself behind the image of a Sheikan boy. My bright golden hair turned a dusty dirty blond, and my blue eyes turned crimson, my now developed young woman's body now looking like a lightly built young boys. I don't think I'll ever get use to this.  
  
I hate being a boy.  
  
But I suppose if Ganondorf is looking for a young girl then it's only logical to be hidden as a young boy. After that Kaepora flew me into Kakariko, where a Sheikah woman was waiting for me.  
  
Apparently Impa had informed her I was coming, and of my delicate situation.  
  
And that's where I am now.  
  
A young boy of the Sheikah, learning my ways in espionage, assassinations, and other such shadow trades the Sheikah are famous for, or at least they would be if more people knew of their existence, Ganondorf had certainly forgotten about them, probably assumed they had all left the country after the Great War. This was exactly what the Sheikah wanted when they themselves had spread that rumor. Solitude and privacy are important to them. I watch from my perch on the look out tower as some more refugees make their way into town, pulling from my silent reflections, I watch them walk, and the familiar emotions of anger, hatred, and loathing, for both Ganondorf and myself, begin to take a hold on my mind. Even after all this time it still hurts to see them, my people, thinking themselves abandoned and alone, nothing left for them but the hopelessness of the future ahead of them.  
  
It's too late to change anything though.  
  
At least there's enough room in Kakariko. After Ganondorf's take over of Castletown reached the ears of whatever Sheikah still held residence in the town, they abandoned it for their underground caverns. Leaving plenty of room for refugees, who seemed to be adjusting as well as anyone could.  
  
I look off into the horizon where the castle used to be, where Ganondorf is building his huge monstrosity to replace it. For just a moment a dull resentful anger seems to fill my chest, almost painfully, replaced almost instantly by a dull resentful guilt, that hurt even worse.  
  
It's my fault he became so powerful.  
  
It's my fault for all of this.  
  
"Sheik!"  
  
I look down the ladder to see the frustrated face of Rin. She tosses her ponytail of silver hair over her shoulder and puts her hands on her hips, ice blue eyes glaring up at me in mock anger.  
  
"C'mon Sheik, enough of this, you know your not allowed in town without another Sheikah with you! And you know I get blamed every time you take off to cloud gaze!"  
  
I sigh and roll my eyes. Rin is older then me by less then a couple months, but because she was a born and raised Sheikah she already outranked me. "I'm coming, I'm coming," I grumble as I make my way down the ladder. "It's not like anything ever happens, Ganondorf isn't going to attack Kakariko. He didn't go to all the trouble of taking over to rule a dead kingdom."  
  
"It doesn't matter kid," Rin says in her I-know-better-then-you-so- don't-bother-trying-to-argue voice. "Rules are rules, and you broke them. Again! Mother's not gonna be happy with you!"  
  
I would have considered her words insulting if she wasn't grinning while she said them. "Your mom's always angry," I defend. "I think it would do her some good to get out of those caverns and see the sunlight again."  
  
Rin frowns, but her eyes seem to agree with my words, "You know like I do that my mother's busy all the time with planning and what not,"  
  
Yeah I know, but I don't see a point to it. No one stands a chance of fighting Ganondorf unless all the races stand together to fight. And that is as close to impossible as going back in time and changing all of this for the better!  
  
As things stand now, the Gerudo serve Ganondorf, and they alone would take almost all the people the Sheikah could gather apart, and the Zoras and Gorons are under constant harassment from Ganondorfs' monsters!  
  
Things aren't good for the people of Hyrule, Kakariko is the only safe place left, and that's only because Ganondorf doesn't know about the Sheikah. He just thinks its Hylians here.  
  
And I hate to admit it, but as a fighting force my people aren't exactly useful as anything other then cooks and messengers and other non-combative tasks! "I know," I answer finally. "But I don't see why, there's no way the Sheikah can stand against Ganondorf." And she knows I'm right.  
  
Rin grins, "Stand against him? Of course we wouldn't be able to do that, he'd rip us apart once he finished laughing. But you forget Sheik, we of the Sheikah have never been the 'here's a sword, kill something' type,"  
  
Right. Assassins. "It's still impossible. He's got an army of Moblins, and the Triforce of power. Not to mention some kind of mountain tall fortress with god knows what waiting behind the doors and behind every corner for some stupid Sheikah with too much gut and not enough brains to waltz right in."  
  
Rin pouted. "Come on Sheik, don't be such a downer. Honestly, the way you talk all the time we may as well be dead."  
  
"Sorry for being a realist," I answer pessimistically.  
  
She rolls her eyes at me. "Come on, you're in enough trouble already without me keeping you out longer. Honestly, you're more trouble then any other boys our age. Didn't anyone ever teach you respect, or discipline?"  
  
I stick my tongue out at her.  
  
"Never mind, lets get going,"  
  
Childish maybe, but effective none the less.  
  
I let Rin walk a few steps in front of me, there's no way in hell I'm going into the caverns first, the way she going on it sounds as if her mother, Aria (leader of the Sheikah in Impa's absence) is waiting with a whip just beyond the opening!  
  
It's a pretty short walk to the graveyard, and I help Rin pull back one of the tombstones, exposing one of the many entrances into the Sheikah caverns. "After you," I chirp half-heartedly.  
  
She nods and jumps down. Not an ounce of hesitation.  
  
I still get a shudder going through these entrances. None of the true Sheikah seems to find it creepy that to get into they're home you have to go through a graveyard and into a grave.  
  
Here goes nothing.  
  
I take a deep breath and jump through the now open grave, the tombstone, another creepy thing I've noticed, slides back to its original position as if it had a mind of its own, and everything goes dark. 

I've always wondered if there are coffins in the ceiling, but I've also always been terrified to ask. Some things are just better left as mysteries.  
  
"Come on then Sheik, lets go,"  
  
"Easy for you to say!" I grumble. "You're a true Sheikah! You can see in the dark! I, on the other hand, am a chosen Sheikah,"  
  
I don't think she heard me.  
  
That or she's ignoring me.  
  
"Your so pathetic,"  
  
I hear the distinct sound of her striking a flint on something, and then a torch flares to life in front of me. She shakes her head in disdain and gives it to me. "And I can't see in the dark you know, I simply understand how to adjust them better then you.  
  
Think you can keep up now that you can see?" Rin teases as she starts down the tunnel.  
  
"In case your memory is as faulty as your mind, I'm still faster then you!" I hate it when she teases me like this.  
  
"Care to wager that?" comes the haughty reply.  
  
Dammit, I don't want to race! I get lost to easily down here. I can't back down now though... "Fine then, what are we gonna wager for the outcome?"  
  
In the light from my torch I can see her eyes glint in that way that makes me nervous. The way that says I'm-going-to-eat-you-now-BWAHAHAHA.  
  
Damn.  
  
"If I win," Rin says slowly. "You take that scarf off and tell me the truth about where you come from. You're too smart to be Hylian."

Well ouch.

"And even if you are there's only one Hylian I know of that Impa catered too..."

At these words a child promptly ran down my spine.

Double Damn. 

She lets those words hang between us, a friendly threat mixed in with her challenge.

Even taking the scarf off could be damaging to my disguise. The magic Kaepora showed me only changes the colour of my eyes, and hair, and makes my body look less girlish. It doesn't touch my face. My face still looks like a girl, Like Zelda the princess of Hyrule. If she sees my face and starts to think about what she sees, the spell will brake and she'll see me for who I really am! 

Judging by that look in her eyes though I'm thinking she already knows and is just looking for conformation.  
  
Goddesses on high, please get me out of this! I promise to-  
  
"Sheik! Rin!"  
  
Ah hell. Out of the frying pan...  
  
"Hello mother," Rin says in a voice saved for authority, and immediately dons an emotionless mask.

I'm, naturally, not gifted with that talent. Aw well, my scarf hides my face, so I'm sure Aria doesn't see the guilt probably plastered across it. I haven't exactly been obedient lately.

"I want both of you to your rooms now!" Rin and I turn to leave. "Sheik!"  
  
I freeze, fighting the urge to growl. "Yes Ma'am?"  
  
"You I want to go to my room. We're going to have some words between us,"  
  
Which translates into. 'Sheik, go to my rooms so that no one can hear you cry when I rip you to shreds with my voice and then deal out an unusually harsh and long punishment because I alone of the Sheikah here know who you really are and will beat you to within an inch of your life to keep you from getting into any potential trouble that may get you hurt'. Yeah. I know that code. Too well I think. 

My next words are growled. "Yes Ma'am."  
  
I hear Rin snicker as she makes her escape into the darkness. Great. How do I get to the rooms again? "Um... Aria, can you tell... me..." she's gone already. Stupid Sheikah.  
  
Well, I guess it's time to get lost again. I suppose she'll send someone after me soon enough, when I don't show up she'll know I got lost again.  
  
'Yay' for me.  
  
--------------------------------

"Honestly Impa, I don't know what to do with the child!" Aria complained as she paced the floor in her room. "I know she's had to deal with a lot but she's just. Impossible!"  
  
Impa nodded gravely. "I had suspected as much when I first took her from the castle. She's never had this much freedom, nor this much responsibility. It doesn't help that she has to hide as a boy and watch as her whole world is slowly torn apart. You're just going to have to give her time, she's been here for a couple years now, she should have adjusted even if she's still rebellious, and she's got your daughter to keep her out of trouble."  
  
"That's great," Aria sneered, "My daughter has been a trouble maker since the day she was born. Zelda, or Sheiks', complete lack of respect for rules and authority just makes her worse! They encourage each other Impa! And now they're even getting some of the other children following their examples."  
  
"It's only been a few months since I was last through here, and everything was fine then, the way you talk you make it sound as if she's imploded the caverns, set fire to Kakariko, and single handedly destroyed Hyrule." Impa shook her head. "You should get outside more Aria, see the sun, breath the fresh air."  
  
"Alright, I admit it, I've exaggerated. But I can see where Sheik is headed, even if she doesn't, and my daughter will be right there pushing her to it. In the few months you've been gone I've already lost count of the number of times I've called her in for punishment."  
  
"You should have expected that, Aria," Impa said knowingly. "Zelda use to be a princess, she use to make the rules, and break them at will. I expected her to act out like this, all she'd doing is venting, Aria, only she's got nothing to take her frustrations out on except for us."  
  
Aria looked frustrated but held her peace.  
  
"Now, tell me about our current situation, you know as I do that my time here can only be brief and it is a business call."  
  
Aria sighed in defeat. "Forgive me Impa, I'm just tired and stressed. And I'm afraid none of the news I have for you is good. We can expect no aid from the Gorons. That dragon has already given them more then they can deal with. We can expect no help from the Zoras, they're having trouble enough just keeping afloat, and my spies have given me a report of increased activity from the Gerudo. I don't like this Impa, not in the least little bit. There are reports, however, of a Gerudo elite named Naboruu, who is going against Ganondorf. If she can rally enough of her people against him it may give us the diversion we need to infiltrate the palace."  
  
"Aria stop right there." Impa growled suddenly. "Don't be stupid, I know you're angry and want revenge on Ganondorf, we all do, but we cannot hope to stand against him, The worst we could be to him is a temporary annoyance. You know that, I know that, and let's face it, it'd be suicide anyway."  
  
Rage flashed across Arias' features.  
  
"Aria, we have been friends since the day we could walk. Don't do this to yourself, don't do this to your people. I've already told you, The Sheikahs purpose is this and this alone. Hide ourselves from Ganondorf's eyes, wait for the hero of time to awaken, and then give him the support he needs when it really counts."  
  
"You would have us hide and cringe like whimpering dogs when we could be trying to do something now! Stop Ganondorf before he digs himself too deep into Hyrule soil. Forgive then Impa, but I wont sit by and watch as the land we were taught to love and protect is raped and burned by a madman!" Aria snarled. "I wont hide!"  
  
Impa stood her eyes burning, hands held in fists at her side. "By my order and by my wish you will hide Aria! You will lead the Sheikah and you will hide until we can stand against Ganondorf and actually stand a chance of victory. You go against him now and you lead our people to their deaths, you lead your daughter and Zelda to their deaths! Do you want him to obtain the second part of the Triforce!"  
  
"At least I'll be leading them, Impa! Which is more then I can say for you!"  
  
Impa flinched, the words striking home. "If I could stay I would, but I have to keep Ganondorf's nose off your scent, and off of the princess."  
  
Aria glared at her long time friend for another moment, then turned away. "Has it already come to this?" she asked in a pained whisper. "Has Ganondorf's power already grown so strong we would turn on each other? I'm not asking you this as a friend, Impa. I'm telling you this as your second. Remove me from command. I can give a few names better suited to it, and all of those names would handle the pressure and stress better then me."  
  
"You would retire?"  
  
"Yes, I've walked these caverns for a long time Impa. You walked them with me, but I'd like to move on to Summer-fell."  
  
Impa nodded sadly at the name of the town on the other side of the mountains. The town where a Sheikah could go if they didn't want a life in espionage and service. Where they could have an easier life. "Are we that old?" she asked, her words lightened with a grin.  
  
Aria matched it. "Maybe not, but I've been feeling more then my years these past seasons."  
  
Impa nodded, "Then I'll release you from your duties. But what about your daughter?"  
  
"Rin?" Aria made a mocking face, "That girl will do what she wants, even if I leave, you can bet she'll stay. The girl just isn't made for a happy peaceful life, she'll remain where there's always a scent of danger and adventure."  
  
Impa nodded, "Sounds like us when we were young,"  
  
"Who will become Zelda's new nanny?"  
  
Impa shrugged. "If she was so intent to ruffle your feathers I have a feeling she'd rather raise herself. But as a precaution I'll hand her care over to Khaz."  
  
Aria raised an eyebrow. "Khaz? Are you sure that's... suitable?"  
  
"Well, if there was anyone who knows how to keep someone safe it would be him."  
  
Aria grinned. "I see what your planning." She said playfully, "keep the girl out of trouble by working her so hard she wont have time to daydream, let alone wonder off."  
  
Impa's returning grin was the only answer she needed. "Speaking of Zelda, didn't you send her here a while ago?"  
  
Aria rolled her eyes. "The child still has a severe problem navigating the caverns."  
  
"Before you leave you should see to it that that problem is fixed."  
  
"Of course."

-------------------------------- Okay, I'm sure I saw that mark before, and I'm almost sure I turned left at it last time, so this time I should go right. I wonder slowly through the mazes of the caverns, not really aware of anything except the fact that I'm horribly and unexplainably lost.  
  
For a cavern full of people it sure is empty . . . and quiet . . .  
  
And creepy.  
  
I turn another corner to see my torchlight dance across the stone and earth wall of a dead end. "Merciful Din, if I don't find some kind of room soon I'm going to scream until someone comes along to shut me up."  
  
"That seems a little drastic, but hey, I bet it would work,"  
  
A chill shoots through my spine at the sound of the voice. Followed shortly by a rush of adrenaline and fear, it subsides as I turn around to see my would-be spook.  
  
"Rin! What in the hell are you doing!" I demand.  
  
Probably following me just so she can laugh at me later for getting so horribly lost in what, to her at least, must seem like a simple set of hallways.  
  
"Following you," she answers, echoing my first thoughts. "Have been for at least fifteen minutes," she grins evilly at me from where she's leaning against the wall.  
  
"That's great, Rin. Just great, any reason why you didn't help me at all?"  
  
"Where's the fun in that?" she asks, walking forward and snatching my torch. "There's a lot of trouble coming our way on the horizon Sheik, and when I say that I mean for the Sheikah as a whole, and its come to my attention that maybe, since you're a chosen Sheikah, you should start learning to act as a true Sheikah." She drops the torch on the ground and brings her foot down to put out the flames. "For starters, seeing in the dark."  
  
There is a bright side to this at least. I'll be able to follow her out of the caverns and into the barracks. 

Where Aria will, undoubtedly, be waiting for me.

How pathetic am I when even the bright side is full of shadows.  
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A/N – There we go, one down, hopefully I've attracted a lot of readers, if not a lot at least enough to make it interesting and worth my while.

So what did you think? Is it good? Bad? In between? Review and let me know. -

Ciao


	2. Chapter Two

**Legal blurb** – Here we are again, you all know the drill, not mine. Wish it was, but it ain't. That's life folks.

Well here we go, the **revised** chapter two, complete with grammar and spelling corrections as well as whatever else I felt like doing to it ;)

Not much to say this time, so enjoy the story.

Oh and **please review**, it makes me happy, and I tend to get discouraged if I don't think anyone reading my story.

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Chapter two

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. M. Kathleen Casey  
  
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"Impa!!" I cry as I walk into Arias meeting room. The Sheikah leader smiles at me and nods.  
  
"It's good to see you Sheik," she says calmly.  
  
That's it?  
  
This woman practically raised me, it's been at least a month or two since I've seen her, and she's giving me the cold shoulder? If she's gonna be that way about it, fine, so can I.  
  
I regard her with a cool stare. "Good to see you too." I half growl. "What brings you back to the caverns?"  
  
Impa stands and walks to close the door, much to the irritation of Rin who's standing outside listening intently. "Business," she says simply, impassively. "Now what's this I hear about your blatant disrespect of authority?"  
  
I frown, my eyes narrow.  
  
"Well," I begin. "I'm not a real Sheikah for starters, and unlike you people I can only take walking around in the dark for so long before I need some fresh air and sunlight,"  
  
Impa gives me that look, the one that just says 'what else?'  
  
Why should I tell her? She won't be around long enough to make a difference anyway.  
  
"I just feel like rebelling," I say easily as I shrug, and that little voice in the back of mind tells me to stop being stupid and selfish. I, as per usual, ignore it.  
  
She raises an eyebrow at me but doesn't chase the subject any further.  
  
Thank Din.  
  
"I won't be able to stay here for long," she starts.  
  
Surprise, surprise. She never does.  
  
"How long this time?" I ask, my voice kept a careful neutral.  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning."  
  
What!  
  
"That soon! But you just got here!" I exclaim.  
  
"Yes, and Ganondorf is getting more persistent, the longer I stay here, the more danger I'll be putting you into." Impa gives me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Sheik, but that's the way things are."  
  
I don't care in the least little bit about the way things are, and if she thinks I'm just going to let her pull that on me again she's wrong.  
  
"Impa, take me with you," I demand, plead would probably be closer actually. "Because that river flows both ways, the longer I'm here the longer your people are in danger, and there's already talk about a traitor amongst the Sheikah."  
  
"We've been through this Sheik, You cannot go with me. It's too dangerous and besides Ganondorf has someone tailing me at least sixty percent of the time, If I have you with me he'll get suspicious and make a try for you even without knowing who you really are, and that rumour is groundless and you know it. There are no turn coats among the Sheikah."  
  
"And who am I Impa?" I demand, furious, ignoring her comment about the rumour. "I'm certainly not a princess of Hyrule, Ganondorf has seen to that, and I'm defiantly not a young boy of the Sheikah, so what am I besides a cross dresser?"  
  
"Sheik, please. I,"  
  
"No!" I shout. "Don't 'Sheik, please' me! I'm tired of it Impa! I'm tired of everything, if Ganondorf wants me so badly why don't you just give me to him. Then you won't have to worry anymore and neither will the rest of the Sheikah, and neither will I for that matter! It's no less then I deserve anyway!"  
  
I don't wait for an answer. I'm angry and frustrated and a whole lot of other common-sense destroying things. I storm out of the room and turn down a random tunnel praying it leads me to the grave door at Kakariko. The walls are just feeling to close right now.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Well," Impa comments to herself. "That could have gone better."  
  
"Much better," Aria agreed as she walked into the room. "Care to tell what happened?"  
  
Impa ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. "I think the pressure is finally getting to her," she said absently.  
  
"You mean him right? She is Sheik right now after all,"  
  
Impa looked at her friend seriously. "I'm beginning to doubt my actions where that girl is concerned. This is just too much for her to deal with, she's still so young Aria."  
  
Aria nodded. "I'm a mother too Impa, I understand your feelings, but trust me, you've done the best you can with what you had to work with and it is working." She regarded her friend comfortingly, "You wouldn't happen to have any other ideas that can help resolve this, do you?"  
  
"None at all,"  
  
"I thought that'd be your answer."  
  
--------------------------------  
  
I sit on top of the watch tower in Kakariko, still incredible angry (mostly at myself), staring up at the moon without really thinking or seeing anything in particular.  
  
I shouldn't have snapped like that at Impa.  
  
I know she's been working really hard, keeping Ganondorf's hounds from scenting Kakariko.  
  
But I couldn't help myself.  
  
I'm just to weak for this.  
  
"Hey up there!"  
  
Goddess! Can I never find peace!  
  
"I said, HEY!"  
  
"I heard you Rin," I shout, my voice hard. "Now go away, if Aria wants me tell her to find me herself."  
  
I hear her begin to climb the ladder.  
  
"What makes you assume my mother sent me? I came on my own, we are friends after all, and you left the caverns in a hurry. So my first thought was that your either angry, or depressed," she pulls herself up onto the platform and sits down next to me. "Curiosity forced me out here to find out which and why," she looks at me critically, ice blue eyes unmerciful and demanding.  
  
I ignore her and continue to stare at the moon.

She shrugs and looks around, "Your obsession with heights is just downright unnatural," she comments suddenly, causing me to look at her.  
  
"What?" I ask, caught off guard.  
  
"Your obsession with heights," she repeats grinning. "It's unnatural."  
  
"And your obsession with graves isn't?" I retort.  
  
"There's the Sheik I know," she says, punching me (harder then needed I think) on the shoulder. "Now what's the problem?"  
  
Well lets see, to start with I roped a kid named Link into going on a horribly dangerous quest, which through some miracle he completed, and then I gave him what he needed to open the sacred realm and through my stupidity Ganondorf broke into said realm and split the Triforce.

Now he has the Triforce of power and is currently ripping the land apart and killing its people looking for me, Link was sealed away into the sacred realm because he's actually the hero of time, Impa is forced to live life on the run all in the attempt to keep me away from Ganondorf, I'm stupid and weak and confused, I either get everyone I meet dead, or into some kind of danger, everything I do seems to turn out wrong, and just to add insult to injury I have to live as a boy for Din knows how long!  
  
"Nothing," I answer after a long pause, my voice sullen.  
  
"Of course its nothing," Rin agrees, nodding sagely. "Because you, my friend, overreact to everything, and seem to have this whole pessimistic everything-is-my-fault mind set that you can't seem to get over."  
  
I stare at her in open confusion.  
  
Everything _is_ my fault. What's she on about?  
  
She looks at me hopelessly. "Come on Sheik, you've probably at some point in time decided that it's because of your lack of effort that things die in the winter."  
  
I give her a look that says, 'huh?'  
  
"Farore Sheik!" She shouts, throwing her hands into the air. "Next to you Ganondorf looks like a happy and well adjusted individual! Smarten up, get over it, and get on with your life! Quit moping around like a lost puppy dog and do something about it! This whole 'poor me' act you keep playing to yourself is starting to get on my nerves. If you don't like the way things are going then bloody change them, or at least do something!"  
  
Well that's a little blunt.  
  
"Not that I've had my friendly advice moment, if you wish to seek my company I'll be teases Anju's cuckoos."  
  
Friendly advice? Whatever.  
  
Rin stands up when I don't say anything and goes back down the ladder.

She wont actually teach the cuckoos, knowing her she'll probably collect them for Anju again.  
  
I turn back to the moon. My silent comfort. Maybe she's right. . .

Maybe it's time to take things into my own hands. . .

But that still doesn't change the fact that Hyrule is in this mess because of me.  
  
It's still my fault.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
I'm standing on a stairway, suspended in a starry sky. Black polished stone beneath my feet the only firm thing I can see.  
  
I'm Zelda, now, not Sheik, I know this because I'm wearing a pink dress with the Triforce on it, and a coronet around my forehead.  
  
But . . . this isn't real. Is it?  
  
It can't be.  
  
Where am I?  
  
With no other obvious course of action I look at the steps in front of me and walk up them, up to a large dark object suspended high above me in the starry nothingness.

The steps disappear one by one behind me as I walk. No where to go but up now.  
  
So I guess I go up.  
  
Suspicious, and careful, I walk slowly up the ebony steps towards the object in the sky. I squint as I get closer, trying to get a clearer sight of it, or figure out what it is exactly.It's a building!?  
  
I get closer.  
  
It's a temple!  
  
A huge set of double doors tower over me as I take the final step and stand before them. The doors and the walls, everything, is black. Embedded with every colour of jewel I've ever seen, decorating it with symbols and designs that I could never hope to understand.  
  
It's beautiful.  
  
You know, in an ominous, mysterious. 'I'm going to eat you now' way.  
  
I stare at it in, what must look like, stupidity. Head tilted back, mouth slightly open, eyes blank and uncomprehending.  
  
Shaking myself I gather my scattered thoughts back to me.

Here goes nothing.

I lean forward and push on the huge doors.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"I should leave now," Impa said warily to herself.  
  
"But what about Zelda?" Khaz, a middle aged Sheikah man asked. He had dark hair with a few grey streaks and bright blue eyes, wearing the traditional Sheikah uniform. Blue and white.  
  
"She not going to be happy about you leaving now rather then tomorrow," Aria added.  
  
Impa waved it off, "she'll get over it. Besides, she's probably more stubborn then even your daughter, Aria. She won't speak to me again until the next time I make my way back here."  
  
Aria smiled, "Stop pretending Impa, we both know how fond you are of the girl. Hellfire, you could practically consider her to be your own daughter."  
  
"She acts enough like you," Khaz muttered.  
  
"What was that," Impa asked dangerously.  
  
"Nothing Impa, just making an observation." He answered, grinning at her.  
  
Impa glowered at him.  
  
"Say goodbye." Aria repeated, her tone commanding and final, "you'll regret it if you don't,"  
  
Impa sighed in defeat, "Fine! I'll say goodbye! But then I'm gone. And remember Khaz, she's yours now, keep her out of trouble and within sight of the Sheikah."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "I know Impa, you can stop preaching to me now."  
  
"Shut up, I am not preaching. Aria, if ordinary life doesn't suit you can always come back here and work for me again. . ."  
  
"I'll keep it in mind,"  
  
"Back to the business of your replacement, Aria. Which of us is most qualified for the position?"  
  
Aria thought long a hard for a moment. "Most qualified would be either Dune or a fellow named Detsu. I don't know him that well, he keeps to himself a lot."  
  
"Dune Is at Summer-Fell," Impa commented, "Didn't want to be an active Sheikah anymore. And what do you mean you don't know Detsu to well?" She questioned, come to think of it, Impa herself wasn't too familiar with the name, and she knew every Sheikah by name and personal history.

"Detsu's an odd one," Khaz said, his voice even and slow. "I know its strange, what with the whole Sheikah community being more or less one big family, but this guy keeps to himself mostly."  
  
Her eyes narrowed, "Is he trustworthy?" Generally speaking, there were no secrets between Sheikah, the complete lack of knowledge about this man unnerved her.  
  
Aria shrugged. "I would think so, he's never done anything that would target him for treason, and I feel as though he'd be an excellent replacement."  
  
"Who else has good qualifications?" Impa asked, praying to the three goddesses there be someone else. "You said earlier you had a few names for me?"  
  
Aria fidgeted. "Well, yes," she began hesitantly. "But the last one is more or less Detsu's puppy. Follows him around and caters to his orders."  
  
"What," Impa demanded, her voice taking a steely tone. Another general unspoken way of the Sheikah was the nonexistence of cliques. There were friends, certainly, but no exclusive groups, no lackeys and leaders. "Has no one found this odd, has no investigated this!"  
  
"Of course we've investigated, Impa," Khaz sighed. "But it ended empty handed, he's clean, and so is his friend. It's hard spying on spies."  
  
"Aria, is there anyone else?"  
  
"I'm sorry Impa, it never occurred to me that you'd reject Detsu. I didn't think you'd react to him this way."  
  
"Aria, I'm gonna ask you to take back your resignation. Just until the next time I find my way back here," Impa said apologetically.  
  
Aria looked cheated. "What!? Why me! Can't you just put Khaz in charge!"  
  
"Don't be stupid Aria! No offence Khaz," Impa began.  
  
"None taken,"  
  
"Khaz is a fighter, he's not a tactician, he's not a diplomat, and he has very little in the way of prime leadership traits, you know as well as I do what we look for in a leader."  
  
"Then why don't you stay!" Aria demanded, "You the true leader for Dins sake! I'm just a substitute!"  
  
"You know why I can't stay, and I know this isn't what you want but these are hardly the days where we can be picky in what we do. We are on the brink of war, every day Ganondorf's hounds nip closer to our heels, and you are right, I am the leader of the Sheikah. And in my absence you will act as my second. Do you understand,"  
  
Aria lowered her gaze, "yes, Impa," she hissed between her teeth. "perfectly,"  
  
"Khaz, you will still be Sheiks new care-taker, and keep an eye on Detsu,"  
  
"Yes, Impa,"

Impa gritted her teeth at Arias smoldering expression. "If you can convince Dune to take over the position, then you have my blessing to leave the caverns. But only Dune, if she won't replace you then you remain here. Understood?"

"Yes Impa." Aria said, her expression softening.  
  
"Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to find Sheik and say goodbye," Impa turned her steely gaze on both of them one last time before turning away and leaving the room.  
  
Aria sagged and fell against the desk in the corner. "Farore, that could have gone better," she muttered angrily. "But I don't see why she has such a problem with Detsu taking command, it's not like he'll be her replacement,"  
  
Khaz only grunted in reply. The truth was, he didn't trust Detsu, and if it didn't violate everything he'd been taught from birth, he would seriously consider putting a dagger between that mans ribs one dark night.  
  
--------------------------------

The ebony stone surface of the doors is cold and smooth against the flesh of my palm, but it swings open surprisingly easy. I stand a moment without moving as I take in the interior of the temple.  
  
It looks like . . .  
  
The temple of time. . .

I step inside, the polished white stone seeming unnaturally bright when compared to the stone used for the walls outside.

I look at the altar, where the three stones go, and the secret door behind it.

It's different, it's not the temple of time, I'm not sure what it is, but it is similar the one in Hyrule, very similar.  
  
I walk up to the smooth stone altar and look down at it.

There's nothing there. No holes for the stones, no patterns or inscriptions.  
  
I look at the walls, and the floor, and ceiling. . .It's all the same white stone, and nothing else, no details, no decoration, no creases. Just plain, smooth, white stone.  
  
I growl inwardly at the temple.

What kind of joke is this? What kind of temple is this? Why would my dreams take me here, and not somewhere more imaginative?  
  
Stupid temple.  
  
I sigh and fall roughly onto the floor, my skirts flowing around me. It's nice to be a girl again.

I lean my back against the cool marble of the altar.  
  
Then I promptly begin to hit the back of my head against it, only just hard enough for it to hurt.  
  
And why not, there was nothing else here, I don't feel like I'm gonna wake up any time soon, and I'm tired of thinking about my twisted little life.  
  
"This is just a suggestion, but I don't think hitting your head like that is gonna do anything good for you,"

Farore!  
  
I leap lightly to my feet, courtesy of Sheikah training, and spin on the voice, which came from behind the altar. A hundred questions and accusations roll through my mind and sit on the tip of my tongue, and my body instinctively goes into a fighting stance, ready to evade or attack instantly as I needed it.  
  
And then everything freezes.  
  
Time stops.  
  
I take in the green forest wear, and hat, the blue eyes, the blond hair, his head cocked curiously to the side, his mouth turned up in a mischievous grin.  
  
My stance loosens.  
  
My mind becomes devoid of all thought.  
  
It's Link.  
  
--------------------------------

A/N – Chapter two done. Hope it was good, review and let me know what you thought. See ya next chapter.

Ciao


	3. Chapter Three

**Legal blurb** – And here we are again, back to this uninteresting, unread, completely unneeded legal thing. I'd love to say Zelda was mine, truly I would. But I can't. Love too. But Can't. Do we have this clear? Does everyone understand? Excellent. On with the important stuff.

Chapter three, here we go. I'm getting excited about this story again, I cant wait to keep writing, those of you who read **Lady Rose's "The Return**" will undoubtedly see some **parallels** between these two stories. Including characters and cameos, for those of you haven't read 'The Return' and don't want to because of it's length, don't worry about it, this isn't a 'You have to read that story to understand' kind of thing, just a collaboration of two **Zelda loving writers**.

Enough babble, on with the story. That is what you're here for after all. **Enjoy**.

--------------------------------  
Chapter three

Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit. R.E. Shay  
  
--------------------------------  
  
For a second I don't do anything, I can't, I don't react, I don't move, I don't even breath. I'm afraid, afraid that if I do anything, it'll all disappear, I'll wake up and the dream will end.  
  
He regards me curiously, bemused even, as I stare back at him in open and unguarded shock. "Zelda?" He asks, getting a little nervous.  
  
I blink, gathering my scattered wits back to me as best I can.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
As if those two little words were the trigger I take one staggering step forward, my first feelings of happiness and joy at seeing him, replaced almost instantly with grief and guilt at what I got him into.  
  
My legs give out beneath, feeling suddenly like putty, and I fall to my knees.  
  
I'm crying.  
  
I don't want to cry, I don't want to look so weak, not to him, but I can't help it. It's my fault he was sealed, it's my fault he'll lose seven years of his life.

Goddess I'm so happy to see him again. . .  
  
"Link, I'm so sorry," I choke, noticing for the first time that he's cleared the space between us and his hands are somewhat awkwardly holding my shoulders.  
  
"For what?" he asks, his voice taking a hint of panic.  
  
I can't blame him really, he's probably had very little experience in dealing with situations like this, if any experience at all that is.  
  
"For everything!" I blurt out. "I'm the one that got you involved in this! I'm the one that let Ganondorf into the sacred realm! It's because of me you were sealed in the sacred realm and the people of Hyrule are suffering! It's all my fault!"  
  
"Hey now," he says calmly, trying to comfort me as best he can, "You didn't get me involved in anything, I chose to go to the palace, and go get the stones, and open the realm. The Great Deku tree told me to go see you and to stop Ganondorf, I would have gotten the stones anyway, but without you I wouldn't have known what to do with them,"  
  
"Exactly!" I cry, "If not for me you wouldn't have known, you wouldn't have been able too! And everyone would still be safe!"  
  
"No," he states flatly, causing me to look at him. "If not for you I would have wandered around Hyrule without a clue what to do, until Ganondorf found me, killed me, and took the stones. Sure I'm stuck in the sacred realm for now, but I'm not dead, and Ganondorf will pay for all this when I get out," He gives me an encouraging look. "It's not your fault."  
  
He doesn't understand.  
  
No one understands.  
  
It is my fault.  
  
But seeing him, even if it is only a dream, lightens my heart a little.  
  
"I'm so sorry," I begin again.  
  
"Stop saying that," Link says, releasing my shoulders and sitting down in front of me. "It's making me nervous."  
  
I just look at him, I can't help it, I've had other dreams about since that day, dreams and nightmares, but none of them were this real. I'm tempted to reach out and touch him.  
  
"So how is Hyrule?" he asks casually, but I can see longing in his eyes. He wants to be back.  
  
I don't say anything for a long moment.  
  
How can I tell him?  
  
How can I explain that a lot of people are dead, and that everyone is feeling the burn of Ganondorf's fire. Darunia, Ruto, the Kokari, they're all his friends, and they get the worst of it.  
  
How can I tell him that everything he fought and risked himself to protect is being slowly torn apart and killed.  
  
Tears well in my eyes again, I can't stop them.  
  
It's funny really.  
  
That day four years ago...  
  
When Impa and I ran from the castle.  
  
I swore I'd never cry again, that I'd never be so weak, not in front of anyone not to myself...  
  
And here I am.  
  
I take a shattered breath, and between tears I tell him everything, the words spilling from my mouth before I have a chance to think about them.  
  
I tell him about everything.  
  
Except about the Sheikah...  
  
Except about Sheik. . .

--------------------------------

"Sheik!"  
  
I stir restlessly, I don't want to wake up, and I don't want to leave the strange temple, to leave Link.  
  
"Sheik!"  
  
Someone is shaking my shoulders.  
  
I fight against it, but it's too late, Link fades in my eyes, the temple bleeds away, he waves and smiles at me and says something but I can't hear him anymore.  
  
"Farore Sheik!"  
  
"What!" I snap irritably, opening my eyes and yawning. "What do you -"  
  
The words die before I can finish them, I had expected to see Rin, not Impa. Why is she here?  
  
"Honestly child, you're more difficult to wake up then a Goron," Impa scolds lightly, "and what are you doing sleeping up here?"  
  
Sleeping up here?  
  
I look around, I'm still on the tower, it's still night though, I couldn't have been sleeping that long.  
  
"I was tired, I fell asleep." I answer smoothly. "That's usually the way it goes,"  
  
Impa frowns at me, but doesn't start on one of her lectures, which tells me that either something's wrong, or she's about to tell me something I don't want to hear.  
  
"Listen Sheik, you're not going to like this,"  
  
I hate it when I'm right..  
  
"I'm leaving in a little while, before dawn anyway,"  
  
"Why?" I ask incredulously "You just got here!".  
  
"I think it would be best, but Aria isn't going to be your caretaker anymore,"  
  
Oh for the love of Din!  
  
"Then who will be?"  
  
"Khaz," Impa states, the sharp tone of her voice daring me to protest.  
  
If she thinks I won't she's got another thing coming!  
  
"Khaz!" I exclaim, "KHAZ! Why him! You can't expect me to actually allow this do you! If you think that just because you throw me at him I'm going to suddenly change and -"  
  
"You _will _allow me to do this Sheik, because you have no say in the matter and it's already been decided. And I expect you to show him the proper obedience and respect that all young Sheikahs should show their superiors!"  
  
I scowl at her but don't trust myself to say anything in response, not just yet anyway.  
  
"I'll be leaving soon and came up here to say goodbye, it could be a while before I get back."  
  
Surprise, surprise.  
  
"And I'm leaving Sha'doe here under your care."  
  
What did she just say?

She's leaving Sha'doe? As in her mare, as in the war horse, the white and grey Sha'doe?  
  
"What?" I ask still trying to wrap my head around it.  
  
"I'm leaving Sha'doe, I wont' be needing her anymore. I'm going to travel on foot through the mountains, and over terrains unsuitable for horses. I expect you to take care of her."  
  
Well now, this is unexpected.  
  
"Impa," I say slowly, evenly, as though she'd lost her mind. "You love that horse. That horse may as well be your sister. Why are you really leaving her behind?"  
  
Call me paranoid, but this is these are the days of cloak and dagger, and the Sheikah are its people.  
  
She regards me almost warily. "Sheik, I don't have time to get into another argument like that. No matter how hard you look I have no ulterior motives on this. I can't take Sha'doe, and I expect you to take of her for me."  
  
Yeah right, like I'll buy that.  
  
"Impa you know as well as I do that Sha'doe more or less takes care of herself. Why don't you just put her in the fields at Summer-fell? Or have someone else take her?"  
  
I can see Impa's mood deteriorating, her expression doesn't change, and neither does her voice, but her eyes are sparking, and that means that's she's getting pretty pissed. It also means, I'm hitting closer to home.  
  
"Sheik, I don't need this now, I'll see you when I see you, but I'm leaving in less then an hour and I expect you to both listen and obey Khaz, and take care of Sha'doe. Is this understood?"  
  
She's using her 'I'm-pulling-rank-and-will-see-you-obey-me- if-I-have-to-tie-you-to-a-bed-and-have-you-spoon-fed-for-the-rest-of-your- life' voice.  
  
Common sense, in this situation, would clearly call on me to nod my head and comply, even if I don't mean it and fully intend the opposite.  
  
What a shame, I'm pretty low on that right now.  
  
Personally . . .  
  
I blame her for that.  
  
"It's understood, unnecessary and more then a little insulting, but understood alright," I say coolly. "I can't promise anything, but I'm gonna give Khaz, at the very least, exactly what he gives me."  
  
Impa knows exactly what I'm talking about.  
  
If he gives me trouble, I'll give it back to him.  
  
Her expression darkens and she throws her hands to the sky as she turns to the ladder and begins her decent, muttering curses and prayers to the Goddesses.  
  
Probably asking them to take me off her hands.  
  
Not that it's her hands I'm ever in.  
  
I push those thoughts away, they'd keep until I have time to brood over them later. Right now I'd better go and see the new 'nanny' about whatever impossible amount of chores and labour Impa has, undoubtedly, instructed him to throw at me.  
  
Sometimes these Sheikah are very predictable.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Impa made her way quickly to the graveyard, and then down through the caverns. Making her way silently through the maze to the protected hidden valley the Sheikah used for training, and as a field for their needed horses. Currently the only horse there was Sha'doe, the rest were at Summer- fell.  
  
The grey warhorse trotted up to Impa, whinnying a greeting. Impa stroked her forehead and pulled her lips close to Sha'doe's ears. "Guard her Sha'doe, protect her." The horse snorted in understanding, something Zelda hadn't learned, and hopefully wouldn't catch onto, was that Sheikan horses were a great deal more intelligent then normal horses. There were only two in the world that didn't belong to the Sheikah, a handsome black stallion with a red mane and tail that was stolen by Ganondorf as a colt and then corrupted, and a newborn filly that was given to the Lon Lon ranch people in exchange for using their ranch as a emergency meeting ground, there was something about the location that allowed all races easy access and adequate room.  
  
Impa patted her horse on the neck one more time, then moved to the rock cliff face that served as a boundary all around the field, and slipped through a lost door that only she knew of.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"I was expecting you long before this time," Khaz remarked when I had finally stumbled through the door, exhausted and disheveled, a while after Impa's departure.  
  
I ignored him and looked around his room. It was big, very big, and also very empty. He had hardly anything in the room besides his bed a desk and a locked chest in one corner. "Love what you've done with the place," I mutter.  
  
He grins, and for some reason it sends chills down my spine.  
  
"Enough with the pleasantry," he says moving to the chest and unlocking it, pulling out a set of ten throwing knives, and a chain whip. "Time to get to work. You're a chosen Sheikah, and it's time you started acting like one."  
  
Farore.  
  
This cannot be good for me...  
  
--------------------------------  
  
I stumble into my room, it's a little past midday, and I have never been this exhausted in my life.

All those painfully long hours drilled in knife throwing, hand to hand combat, and using the strange chain whip the Sheikah like leaving me beaten and sore.

I was horrible at all three, and he made no secret of telling me this every other throw or clumsy block.

My whole body hurts, not to mention my pride. At least got a few good hits on him during sparring. Cheap shots, yes, but hey, use what's available to you right? He never said I couldn't throw candles.  
  
"Heyla there Sheik,"  
  
I can't help but groan.  
  
"Hello Rin," I grumble, sounding as haggard as I feel.  
  
"Wow, you look like you spent the whole night fighting," she whistles as she takes in my appearance, "and losing I might add."

"Pretty much," I agree.

I want, desperately, for her to leave so I can go to sleep.  
  
"Want to go topside?"  
  
I regard her curiously for a second. Rin? Go topside? She hated Kakariko. "Why?"

"Not to Kakariko or anything, but to the training field. I heard Impa left her horse there and I've been dying to try and ride her since I first laid eyes on her."  
  
Sha'doe. I almost forgot.  
  
Rin must have known I was going to refuse, because in the next heartbeat she grabbed my arm and dragged me along beside her.

"Don't you have anyone else to bother!?" I yell, and she should, it's not like we're the only non-status Sheikah here, there are other trainees.  
  
"Nope," she says cheerfully, "They're all wusses, and I don't care much for their company. You on the other hand, make things interesting."  
  
Great.  
  
She makes my life difficult and I make hers interesting.  
  
If I weren't so damn tried I'd probably be able to stop her.

--------------------------------

This would probably be pretty amusing if I wasn't losing sleep to see it.

I watch as, once again, Sha'doe throws Rin to the ground with an undignified thump.  
  
But as always, true to her stubborn nature Rin pushes herself up again, and doggedly mounts up, only to be thrown again. This process has continued itself for about a half hour and will probably continue on for as long as Rin's, already badly beaten body, holds out.  
  
Then it'll be up to me to drag us both back to our rooms where, if my current luck continues, I will be roughly pulled out of bed only moments after I actually crawl into it by Khaz, who will probably fill the rest of my day with tedious and pointless chores until tomorrow when I'm fully rested so he can beat me some more with his fists and his sword.  
  
Yeah, I think that about sums it up real nice.  
  
Rin stumbled over to me after another two shots with the exact same results, and falls to the ground at my side. "Ow," she says in a tortured voice. "That's one horse with a bad attitude!"  
  
I'd laugh if I had the energy. "You know, they say the definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over expecting different results."

"Sanity's overrated anyway." Is her glib response.

"You ready to head back now?"

She nods mutely, panting to catch her breath.  
  
Neither of us moves.  
  
"One minute..." She pants after a long pause.  
  
I lie down on the grass and close my eyes. It'll just be for a moment, and then I'll go back to my room.

That's a lie and I know it, I can already fell myself falling asleep.

Darkness closes around my mind and with a weary smile I welcome it.

--------------------------------

A/N - Chapter three, down for the count. Boo yah. I'm on a bit of roll now, let's hope I can keep up the momentum. Please review! It makes me oh so very happy, and it feeds my rather large ego, which is constantly hungry by the way :P

And there we go kiddies, hope you enjoyed it

ciao


	4. Chapter Four

**Legal blurb – **Hey there again, let me be the first to say that I am poor first year university student, if I owned anything, even remotely like Zelda, I would be living in a nice house, fully furnished, with a game cube and a dog and enough left over to bribe my professors for good grades. As it stands, I have none of those things. You do the math. Me no own anything.

God **I hate school**, and writing **essays**, and especially grammar, I swear, the written language hates me. Grrrrrrrrr, anyway, here I am again, and there you are again, and I wonder if anyone even reads this? Not much to say today, so read **review** and be merry.

--------------------------------  
Chapter Four

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright, quoted in _Reader's Digest_, June 1995

--------------------------------

I can feel birdsong dragging me from sleep, against my will I might add, and back into reality.

I didn't dream this time.

I didn't get to see him again.

Maybe it was just a one time thing? Maybe it actually was just a dream.  
  
I shake my head, more to dismiss that thought then wake myself up fully.  
  
No! It was real! It had to be.  
  
"It's about time you woke up!" Rin growled from where she was sitting on the ground watching Sha'doe. "I was beginning to think you'd sleep the day away!"  
  
I regard her curiously. "What time is it?" my voice still thick with sleep.  
  
"A little past noon," she answered.  
  
I groaned. Khaz was going to skin me alive and bake me for lunch!  
  
As if reading my mind Rin grinned, "Khaz came by earlier, much earlier, looking for you," she stood up and dusted herself off. "He decided to let you sleep."  
  
Can't say Is aw that coming. Why'd he let me sleep?  
  
"I have to tell you Sheik, something going on and it's not in the least little bit good," the grin on Rins' face fell away and left her with a troubled look. "They won't tell me anything because I'm not an active Sheikah yet, I'm still in training, but I heard something about a murder."  
  
Murder? Oh goddess, did Ganondorf find out about the Sheikah? About me?  
  
"Do you know who?" my voice sounds strange even to me, like it's someone else talking.  
  
Rin lowers her head, her eyes hidden behind her bangs. "It was Dune," she said solemnly, but I can hear the anger beneath it.  
  
I can't help but gape at her.

Dune!? It can't be Dune! Dune would have been the leader in place of Aria if she hadn't decided to retire to Summer-fell and try her hand at non-active life. She was suppose to be coming up today to visit with Aria about something!  
  
"When?" I ask, still dumbfounded.  
  
"Last night, she left Summer-fell and headed here. She was killed somewhere in between."  
  
A thought suddenly strikes me. Dune was a mother. "What about her kids?"  
  
"They haven't been told yet."  
  
Farore. . .  
  
This can't be happening.  
  
"Any clue who did it?"  
  
Rin shook her head again. "No, but whoever it was must have been a professional. Dune was the top of her class, and not one to be taken by surprise."  
  
I don't believe it. I won't believe it.  
  
Ganondorf hasn't found out, he hasn't found the Sheikah, it has to be something else.  
  
It has to be.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
I walk slowly towards Khazs' room, lost in thought with a growing feeling of dread eating away at my mind. I can't help but feel that the worst is yet to come.  
  
I reach for the door and push it open, stepping inside.  
  
The room is empty.  
  
It takes a moment for my mind to catch up with my body, and I find myself completely and utterly lost.  
  
I don't know what to do.  
  
Dune is dead, and I can feel it in my heart that she's only the first of many. I can't let it happen, I can't let Ganondorf do this!  
  
I clench my fist at my side and glare at the empty space in front of me.  
  
I have to stop him.  
  
But I can't do it alone, I need help.  
  
The fleeting image of Keapora flashes before my eyes.  
  
There are other sages.  
  
If I could find them, awaken them somehow we would be strong enough to stop Ganondorf at least long enough for Link to come back and finish the job!  
  
But that's closer to impossible then I care to admit to myself.  
  
I'd need an army to pull it off.  
  
"So how much do you know?"  
  
I jump nearly a full foot in the air and swear under my breath spinning on Aria, she's leaning casually against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised in question.  
  
Her face, as always, is unreadable. But the eyes don't lie, Dunes' death hit her hard, they were friends after all. I wonder how long before Impa knows . . .  
  
"Well?" she asks, "Rin has talked to you hasn't she? She has this way of knowing everything she's not suppose to, and subsequently telling you."  
  
"She told me there was a murder," I answer quietly. "She told me it was Dune,"  
  
Aria nodded, she was expecting that answer. "I don't think I need to tell you that the caverns are on lockdown, and that an emergency state has been issued for all active Sheikah."  
  
Lockdown? That means they think it was a Sheikah who did this!  
  
"You, and Rin, as well as all the other trainees, are being taken to Summer-fell as a necessary precaution."  
  
It's voice now that I hear, drifting to me from a memory

_If you don't like the way things are going then bloody change them, or at least do something!_

"No." My voice is quiet, but the tone is final. I can't do anything From Summer-fell, I won't even know what's going on from there.   
  
"What?"  
  
I grind my teeth, my resolve hardening. I'm tired of sitting at the sidelines letting other people stand as human shields in front of me.  
  
"I'm not going."   
  
"Sheik, I don't think I need to tell you why I think this is happening,"  
  
And she doesn't, because the exact same thoughts have already crossed my mind. Ganondorf is behind this, he knows I'm here, at least he suspects.  
  
"If he knows I'm here and if it is a Sheikah working for him it won't matter where I go, Aria." I take a deep breath, my mind is screaming at me to just listen to her and go, that it's for my own good.  
  
I ignore it, my heart is screaming the opposite.  
  
Aria chuckled softly, taking me by complete surprise. "So you want to be involved do you? You want to fight?"  
  
I just look at her, let my eyes hold my answer.  
  
"Well, there are a few like you who've made similar demands. You can stay with them. You will be our go-to kids, running messages between me and other ranking Sheikah, and performing all the meaningless chores you hate so much while the others are all busy."  
  
Which means that I'll basically be a servant.  
  
"Fine by me," I answer.   
  
"Impa won't like this, you know."  
  
Something in her voice tells me that what Impa wants isn't high on the priority list right now. This of course, suits me just fine.  
  
I nod.   
  
"Good, go to the training field where Sha'doe is corralled, I'll meet you there in a while."  
  
"Aria?" I say quietly as she moves to leave. She pauses in the doorway, her back to me. "I'm sorry." I hesitate for moment, "I know you were friends, and . . . and I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time of things."  
  
She bows her head slightly, "Thank you," she whispers, I hear tears in her voice.  
  
She's gone before I can say anything else to her.  
  
I decide not to waste time and head out for the field where I accidentally spent the night, and most of the day.  
  
I'm not surprised to find Rin waiting there for me when I arrive. Sitting nearby are five more people.  
  
A tall girl with grey hair, and a shorter boy standing next to her I hadn't seen for a while, both wearing grim expressions. It takes a second before I recognize them as Ketari and Thomas. Dunes children.   
  
The other three are all boys, one with black hair and blue eyes, and two with brown hair and crimson that look like they may be twins, all five are wearing the traditional Sheikan colours of blue and white, though the uniforms differ slightly for each.  
  
"I was wondering when you'd show," Rin said with relief, "beginning to think you were on your way to Summer-Fell."  
  
She held a hand out towards the others. "These guys want to help us," she said in a hushed voice. "Those two are Ketari and Thomas, they're here from Summer-fell. Dune was their mother."

I notice Thomas, being the younger of the two, flinch and turn away at the mention of Dune. Ketari is wearing her Sheikah face andgives no hint to the emotions she has right now.

"The two with brown hair are Kayl and Kris, like us they're here for training. The guy with dark hair is Tas, he's a chosen like you."   
  
What exactly is Rin trying to play here?  
  
"Guys," Rin continued, shoving me out towards them. "This is Sheik," They all nod to me in acknowledgment. "Anyone who wants out now better go, because after this you're in it 'til it's done. What we're going to be doing is dangerous and has the potential to get us all exiled from both Summer-fell and the caverns, and probably Hyrule as well. _If_ we're caught, that is."  
  
I've obviously missed something here, but it doesn't really matter . . .  
  
I already know what Rin is talking about.  
  
Since the active Sheikah won't tell us what's happening, and the non-active don't know one way or the other. We're going to play a rather dangerous game of spy.  
  
We're going to do something rather then sit around and be shoved into a corner so we don't get in the way of the active Sheikah.

We're gonna take this whole nasty affair into our own hands.

Not quite the army I wished for, but it was certainly a start.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
A/N – Alright, the stage is set, the players are introduced, and the plot has started rolling. Bye Bye Introduction to the story, welcome the body.

Kay then, how'd ya like that? Is there anything you'd like to see? Any helpful hints you think I could use? Please send them along via reviews, I can't get enough of those and I'll love you forever.

In the next chapter, Can the new kids be trusted? Sheiks' secret. And maybe Detsu will make an appearance, dastardly guy that he is. Not entirely sure yet, I know what I want in it for sure, the rest in the air.

Ciao


	5. Chapter Five

**Legal Blurb – **Back to this again huh? You know, somehow I doubt a representative from Nintendo is gonna be scanning through all these fan fictions making sure no ones saying that Zelda is their game, not only would everyone here know they're lying, it's a complete waste of time. Mine and yours. In short. I don't own diddly.

Okay, I'd like to **apologize** for my shifting tenses, jumping occasionally from past to present tense, this is the first time I've written **first person**, my standard and preferred way of writing is third person, so just **bare with me** while I get the hang of it. Hope I'm not confusing too many people.

And don't worry, **Zelda** will not remain in the caverns for much longer, she will be going all throughout **Hyrule** you just have to be **patient**. A few more things have to happen before she can leave is all.

Other then that, enjoy.

------------------

Chapter Five

I have no doubt the devil grins

As seas of ink I spatter

Ye Gods forgive my literary sins

The other kind don't matter

-Robert William Service

--------------------

Aria had arrived and left the training field in under five minutes.

Until the chaos (that was the caverns) was sorted, our only instructions were to remain in the field and not go anywhere or do anything stupid.

This suits me just fine, I need a chance to look over everyone.

Rin has been watching me like a hawk, she doesn't even blink, waiting for my reaction to her announcement. The others seem to be waiting on me too, now that Aria is busy elsewhere and there's no one about to watch or hear us.

I look at them each critically. I trust Rin, and I know I can trust Ketari and Thomas, but can I trust these others?

"So," I say, my words taking on an air of authority, call me arrogant but I like being the one in charge again. "You all know why we're here I take it?" I glance at Rin, she nods from where she's standing at my side.

If observations are right that would make me the temporary leader and her the second in command. How did this come about exactly?

"We're here to prove we're ready to be active Sheikah." The dark haired boy, Tas said, his voice sounding almost contemptuous.

I give him a cold glare, I've stared down nobles and politicians and people a lot more intimidating then this little puppy. He holds my gaze for a moment, and then looks elsewhere.

There's something almost feral about staring down ones opponent, an animal instinct of authority. I don't really care what triggers it or why so long as I'm the one that wins it in the end.

"We're here," Rin in a sharp voice, oh yeah, she's definitely Aria's child, "To find out what's going on, and to find out if there's a way we can stop it." Her blue eyes glance towards Ketari and Thomas then back to Tas, "But if we want any chance of getting away with it we have to trust each other, we have to be able to work together as a team, and to defend ourselves if things get bad. Ketari is already fully trained, myself and Tas are close to completion. But you three," she points as Kris, Kayl, and Thomas, "and you," she turns to me. "Need some serious work if you wanna survive this."

Kris huffed, "Come on, it's not like we're going into battle or anything, we're just collecting information, simple recon stuff."

Both Ketari and I turn angry glares on him, and I take no small amount of satisfaction when he winces. "Someone's been killed." I snarl. "And whoever did it isn't just gonna leave, there's going to be more attacks, and if we want to stop it soon or late we're gonna have to face whoever's doing this, before they decide to bring the fight to us."

"How do you there's going to be more?" Tas asks, and I can't help but note his voice is still condescending, though not as much so as before. This boy has obviously been spoiled by somebody!

"If we were all safe why's the Caverns in a lock-down? They think this is an inside job, Tas," I practically spit his name, "This is gonna get hella worse before it gets any better."

"So what do we do right now?" Kayl asks.

"We train." Ketari says, her voice even. "I'll be taking over your training in the stead of an active Sheikah. Rin will be running you through tactics and agility if we feel you need it."

"But first," Rin says, holding up a hand. "We need to get to know each other, why we're here, and what we want out of this. Trust and secrecy are the two things we need more then anything right now. We need to make sure we can get them, that none of you are gonna go running your mouths off at any time to anyone. I approached each of you specifically because I think you're trustworthy," her glance shifts over to me, "even if we do have our little secrets that we keep. Now, we need to prove our trustworthiness to everyone."

"Well," It's Thomas this time who speaks up. "What do you want to know?"

-------------------

It's been a few hours already, when is Aria or Khaz gonna come and get us? Or at least tell us what's going on! Honestly, I expected them ages ago.

I sit staring blankly at the doorway leading into the caverns for a moment longer before turning my gaze away from the entrance into the field to look over my co-conspirators. Our little heart-to-heart went pretty well, all things considered.

I know Ketari is trustworthy and damn but she can fight, I wonder why she was at Summer-fell in the first place? Thomas is okay too, a little naïve maybe, but loyal to a fault and completely devoted to his sister. Thomas is in it to make sure no one else gets hurt, Ketari is in it for a personal vengeance and closure. Of the two, I'd worry more about her then I would him.

The Sheikah have a number of proverbs, and there's one that says something about a too sharp blade cutting the hand that holds it. I think I'll have to remind Ketari of that proverb some time soon.

Kayl and Kris seem okay, they're in it strictly for the adventure. Like the rest of us (with the exception of Ketari) they're more or less ignored, left out, too old to be kids, and too young to be active Sheikah, they're thirsting for a chance to prove themselves and a chance to be a part of something that will probably go down in Sheikan history.

Tas is in it for almost the same reason as the twins, he wants to prove himself too, but mostly he's after whatever glory he can get, I can see it in his eyes, he's got a romanticized idea of what this is gonna be like, something from the ballads and lacking any trace of reality. He wants to be hero.

I'd hate to break it to him, but heroes don't go looking for that title, it's actually a part of what makes them heroes in the first place. I'm expecting trouble from him.

Not a bad crew though, all things considered, apparently since it was Rins' idea that's why she feels she gets to boss everyone around. Leadership hasn't exactly been decided, but the only two who seem to be stepping into the role are me and Tas. I can see some issues later from this, nothing I can't handle. So for now, things are good.

I'm actually surprised Ketari didn't automatically get appointed leader, being the oldest and most skilled and ready for her Quisros (a test in Sheikan culture that proves whether or not a young Sheikah is ready to become an adult, a right of passage kind of thing). She always did seem like a loner though, maybe she's just not comfortable being in charge of anyone other then herself.

There's just one thing that plagues at my conscious now.

We need to trust each other, sure enough, and they all know I have my secrets, they've got a couple of their own too, but theirs have nothing to do with anything we're doing.

Mine on the other hand . . .

So do I tell them? I don't thing they really care right now what I'm hiding, but Rin already suspects me, and by the looks she's giving me I'd say she's giving me a chance to come clean about it on my own before she confronts me on it . . .

"Knock off the daydreaming already Sheik! You're up!" Kris shouts at me, punching my shoulder in a friendly but still kind of painful way.

He's standing over to me, holding out a couple fighting knives, Ketari figured that while we wait she could assess our skills and run us through some basic exorcises, Kris looks pretty beat up, like he spent more time on his back then in the ring we put together.

Which is sadly the truth of the matter.

And now it's my turn to get throttled.

Ketari, (I learned through Thomas) was undefeated in Summer-fell, her sword skills are near perfect, and completely lethal. There is no show to her style, just a single minded performance that if often frightening.

And now she's looking at me.

I sigh and take the knives from Kris, he grins at me and promptly plops down onto the grass to watch.

After her initial assessment Ketari figured it was too late to teach me any sword work, me and the knives, however, were apparently well suited to each other.

I know she's going to beat me, hands down, no questions asked, no bets made.

This will probably hurt my pride more then my body though. But since pain still hurts either way, I drag my feet as I walk towards her.

------------------------

"Alright you lot gather up!"

Ketari and Tas stop their spar and turn with the rest of us to look at Khaz walks steadily towards us.

"Here's how things are gonna work for you for the next while. You're gonna be alternating between running messages between the ranking Active, kitchen detail. Which means cleaning and scrubbing, as well as repairs to damaged uniforms, weapons, and anything else we can find for you that could be of use. If you are asked by an Active to do something, so long as it doesn't interfere with those jobs, do it. Your free time is now our time, if I catch any of you with nothing to do I'll find something for you. Any questions?"

Blunt much?

"What about training?" Ketari asks, "You can't expect us to stop that."

"Ketari," Khaz starts, and for the first time in my memory his voice is gentle, caring even. "We can't spare anyone right now to train you. Most of the Active have already been sent out, trying to get a scent of who's behind this, all the rest are making this place as impenetrable as possible."

"I could train them." Her voice is hard, thick with challenge. "I could be active if I wished, I passed my tests and I'm qualified as an instructor."

"Maybe kid, but you haven't had your Quisros yet. In the eyes of our laws you can't be Active until after that. By our laws you aren't even considered an adult yet."

Ketari tosses her ponytail over her shoulder, giving him a haughty smirk, but there's no happiness in it. "So let me train them until I do. Just a couple hours a day can't hurt for us to all get together and work towards our Quisros together."

Khaz seems to think it over for a second, and I notice his gaze turn to me, his expression dark.

The silence around us is so thick it actually sounds loud to me. We desperately need time to be together every day if we want this to work.

"Alright then," he says at last.

Relief flashes across everyone's face, though it's quickly hidden so Kahz doesn't catch on.

"Three hours a day, immediately after lunch this field is yours. No longer then that, and if we find you aren't using it for training you won't be getting it all."

We all nod agreeably.

"You can begin your training the day after tomorrow, your chores start first thing ion the morning, so finish up today's lesson and get to bed. You'll be needing the rest." He doesn't waste anymore time with us, disappearing back through the door as soon as the words have left his mouth.

"That was better then I'd hoped for." Rin said when we're sure it's safe. "I was thinking we were gonna have to hold some midnight meetings and stuff."

I think she sounds disappointed that wee won't.

"We'll probably still need to." Tas says. "Three hours may be good but we'll more the likely have someone checking up on us every half hour or so." His gaze takes in both Rin and myself, "Form what I hear you two aren't exactly popular with Aria right now."

I wince, but for Rin that counts as a compliment and she grins from ear to ear, winking at him as she wells with pride.

"Farore favours the bold," Is all I can think to say in reply, an old Sheikan saying Impa taught me, amongst many others.

Everyone nods at that, Sheikans take their proverbs seriously. They consider them teaching tools, words form the wise to be respected and remembered.

"Come on then you slackers, let's get back to training." Ketari says after a long moment of silence. "This isn't the time to daydream."

--------------------

I'm practically dragging myself to my room right now.

Ketari, I've learned, doesn't believe in giving anyone a break. Every time one of us complained or asked her to slow down or take a breath she'd just give us a look and say 'Will your enemies give you a break when you're tired?' and wail on us some more.

She's worse then even Khaz!

I push the door to my barracks open and collapse onto the bed. The room itself is small and sparsely furnished.

More of a glorified closet really.

I don't even have the energy to pull the covers up and around myself, but in the end it doesn't really matter. My eyes are closed before I hit the pillow.

------------------------

I'm standing before the huge obsidian doors, I'm Zelda again.

Excitement fills my mind.

I believe, truly, deeply, unquestionably, that these aren't dreams.

I pull the doors open and move inside, Links smiles and waves at me from where he's sitting cross legged on the alter.

"I was wondering when you'd come back." He says, hopping down.

I smile back at him, "Truth to tell, so was I."

I look him over critically for a moment, he looks just as worn and torn as I feel. "What happened to you?"

He rubs the back of his head absently and looks a little sheepish. "Training," he mumbles. "I shot off my mouth about how good I was and Rauru ran me through this monster course as punishment."

Well now, that's surprising.

"You train?"

He nods, "Of course, Rauru says I need to. I was impressive getting the spiritual stones, but I'm nothing compared to Ganondorf. That's why I've been sealed in here, to train so I can actually be of some use to everyone." Now it's his turn to look me over. "You look a little ragged yourself."

I shrug and grin at him, "I've been training too."

"Not in a dress I hope."

I actually laugh at that, Goddess, it's been a while since I've laughed like this. "No, not in a dress."

Silence falls between us for a moment. Not entirely uncomfortable, but not exactly a fluffy pillow either.

"Link." My voice sounds odd, even to myself.

He looks up at me, eyes curious and concerned at the same time.

"I've been hiding, since, since that day, and the people I've been hiding with don't know who I am." I take a deep breath, not entirely sure what I want from this or why I'm saying these things at all. I guess I just miss having someone to talk to, someone I can be myself with. Friends were few and far between at the palace, and I never see Impa anymore.

Link moves and sits down next to me. "And?" he asks gently.

"Things are happening right now, Link, bad things, and me and a few others are trying to find out why and how to stop it. I think these things are happening because of me, because, because Ganondorf knows It's me." I take another deep breath, and look away from him. "Should I tell them?"

"Do you trust them?"

His question catches me off guard, so much so I turn to stare him straight in the eye. Unlike everyone else I've met, he doesn't turn away first. "I trust one or two of them. I'm pretty sure the others are okay but I'll need to spend more time with them first." I offer a small smile that doesn't reach my eyes. "I have issues trusting people."

"Does it hurt?"

Now I'm confused.

The smile fades to a frown. "Does what hurt?"

"Hiding, pretending to be someone else, not having anyone to talk to."

I turn away from him, my cheeks flushed from embarrassment. That's all the answer he really needs.

In silence lays consent.

"Tell the ones you trust to keep the secret, the more information you all have the better chances of defending against these bad things right?"

"What about you?" I ask, turning the topic away from me, suddenly uncomfortable even though I'm the one that started it.

"What about me?" He grins.

"Does it hurt?" the grin fades and he sighs, deep, sad, resigned. I continue when he doesn't say anything. "Being alone, being trapped here, not being able to do anything about it? Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes," He offers, "But I'm not alone, not really, Rauru is good company, old fashioned and stiff, yeah, but still good company, I still have Navi too." He pauses, and gives me a look so full of meaning it actually frightens me. "And now there's you." He says softly. "When I first got here Rauru didn't know anything about what was happening beyond the sacred realm. It killed me not knowing if you'd made it or not. I know Impa's good but I saw Ganondorf, I faced him, and he terrified me, him finding you terrified me. So, all in all, I've found more reasons to thankful for my situation then bitter." He gives me another long look before turning away, "maybe you should weigh your reasons too."

Silence falls between us again, and he won't look at me. Since I'm not looking at him either I can't say that I mind.

"Do you train in this mock temple?" I ask, not being able to take the silence any longer.

He laughed at that, "No, the temple is only for you. After you leave, or wake up, or whatever it is that happens, the temple melts away and becomes whatever it is Rauru wants. A field, an arena, a castle. Training changes and so does the landscapes. But the temple is just for you, Rauru's sense of humour I guess, that or he figured you'd be more comfortable here."

I grin at him, as long as we're ignoring everything we just said I will thankfully play along. "Personally, I think I'd rather some place more open, maybe a field, a midnight sky, something that _doesn't_ remind me of where I came from."

"I thought you wanted to be Zelda again? Would you rather the palace?"

I shake my head vehemently, "I want to be Zelda alright, I don't want to be Sheik anymore, and I don't want to be the princess either. They're both just masks I wear to get me through the day." I look down and sigh deeply, "I'm afraid that I don't even know who Zelda is anymore."

I can feel Link put his arm over my shoulder and hug me briefly. "Don't worry about it. I'm great at finding things, there was this one time this crazy girl sent me on a quest to find these spiritual stones. . ."

I laugh at that but don't comment.

Link looks around solemnly, "and about changing the scenery to something more open. Me too, maybe I'll mention it to Rauru next time he runs me ragged and see if I can work something out."

-----------------

I come awake with a start as something heavy drops on me, growling to myself at the intrusion. I didn't want to end that conversation. Me and Link talked for a long time, about little things, nothing serious or personal, he told me about his training I told him about mine, and about the Sheikah, and although I still left out my cross-dressing I did tell him I was going by the alias of Sheik. It was nice, almost normal, comfortable.

"Hey there Sheik, its time to greet the day."

"Get off!" I snarl kicking at her.

She just laughs and jumps neatly out of the way as I rib my eyes and sit crouched in the center of the bed as though trying to defend it from her.

"What the hell do you want."

"Forgotten already Sheik?" she sighs dramatically, "Our first day as little more then slaves starts now." This time the sigh was for real. "My first assignment is the kitchens," she grimaced with distaste at the thought of scrubbing all those pots and plates and the messy business as a whole. "You have to go and tend to Sha'doe, a full grooming and bath and exorcise. Mother told me to tell you that. So hop to it."

Rin disappears through the door as I drag myself off the bed and begin the slow and laborious task of starting the day.

------------------------

Standing in front of Sha'doe with her saddle and reins at my feet I brace myself for anything. After Rins little performance when trying to mount her I'm not counting on me accomplishing very much as far as her exorcise is to go.

I've come prepared for her though. One hand is holding several sweet carrots by their stalks, my other stretched out to pet her. Maybe if I make friends with her first she'll be less inclined to buck and kick and otherwise maim me.

Warhorses, honestly, why am I in charge of her again?

Sha'doe gives me a decidedly unimpressed look well she practically inhales the carrots as I scratch her forehead I grab a curry comb from the pile at my feet with my now carrot free hand and begin the task of grooming.

The horse leans into my hand, her eyes half-closing with bliss at the attention.

One thing I was good at and I loved at the palace was my equestrian lessons. I like horses, they're better people then most people, and I'm doing my damndest to make sure this horse likes me too.

As dust and dirt fall away from her coat my mind drifts back to Link and everything he'd said to me.

I don't think I can tell them.

I'm afraid to tell them.

I'm afraid of what they'll think of me, I mean, it's because of me that Dune, Ketari and Thomas's mother, is dead! I wouldn't blame them if they hated me for it, for being who I am, for hiding here and putting their entire community in danger, I'd hate me if I were them, I'd –

"Sheik."

I bite off a scream as I throw myself to the left and crouch in a defensive position. Sheikah training mixed with an already paranoid mind making me move all that much faster. I may not be much in a fight right now, but my speed can usually make up for it.

Ketari is standing right behind where I was a moment ago, smirking at me as I try to catch my breath and straighten myself out.

"Farore Ketari!" I growl, "Don't sneak up on a person like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry about that," she shrugs, obviously not sorry at all.

"Don't you have chores to do?"

"Yes, but nothing that can't wait a few minutes. I came out here to speak with you."

The way she says that makes my hair stand on end.

"Oh?"

She nods, and glances around as if making sure there's no one to over hear. "Listen Sheik, I know who you really are."

My blood has officially turned to ice now.

"I know why Impa brought you here and I know you know, or think you know, why my mother was killed, and why she won't be the only one."

Damn!

"Ketari, listen I - "

She cuts me off with a wave of her hand, "Listen, I don't blame you."

Her voice is too hard to mean that, she must hate me.

"Impa did the only thing she could do at the time. As Sheikah our first duty is to the royal family, our second to our clan, and our third to ourselves. I just wanted you to know that."

"How did you know?" I ask, looking away, feeling suddenly like a child caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

"I'm Dune's daughter." She answers, as if that's explanation enough, "I could shock you with some of the things I know about the Sheikah."

Damn, think Sheik think, say something, _anything_!

"Uh . , ,"

oh, real smooth Sheik, good job.

"In case you're wondering why I haven't taken leadership responsibility it's because I have no experience in it, and truth to tell I wouldn't like it anyway." Ketari says, conversationally, but I can tell there's something else she wants to say.

I pick up my curry comb and return to tending Sha'doe, who watched out little exchange with nothing more then indignation at having been ignored for so long.

"I had wondered." I say without elaboration.

"You on the other hand have experience in leadership, and despite being younger then me I get the distinct impression that mentally you're older, I think the others have that impression too even if they don't know the truth about you."

The triforce of wisdom probably has something to do with that.

"Rin suspects you know, all she's waiting for is you to confirm it, and it won't be long before the others suspect as well."

God damn it Ketari! Spit it out already, what is it you really want to say to me!

"And?" I encourage.

"and if she can come to the right conclusions what's to stop whoever's behind this? Someone who won't wait for confirmation, someone who'll just kill you out of turn is they even get the slightest little inkling that you're not who you seem."

The comb stops midbrush and I stare at it sightlessly. She's right of course, things aren't safe here anymore, maybe I should just high tail it out of here. Lead the murderer away and just end this whole ordeal.

"And before you start to seriously think about it, leaving is not the answer to this." Ketari says suddenly.

I feel my eyes widen in surprise as her words echoed my own thoughts and turn to stare at her.

"A sheikahs first duty is to the royal family, and you're all that's left of them. You are the royal family, when this is all over you will be the Queen, Zelda."

She whispered that, as if she thought there was someone nearby.

"We can protect you here." Stretching her arms above her head she takes a step back and regards me curiously. "We're meeting tonight, here, midnight, I would strongly urge you to tell the others before they get to talking about it amongst themselves and the wrong person overhears. There's something else I want to say, but I want to tell everyone at once."

Her voice is angry, her eyes getting a faraway look to them.

"I meant what I said Sheik, I don't blame you, I'm pretty sure I know who to blame, but we'll get to that at midnight."

Before I can call her back or demand to know what she found out Ketari is across the field and through the entrance.

Dumbfounded I stand stalk still, just staring after her, until Sha'doe nudges my back roughly.

I finish her grooming quickly and struggle to get the saddle, finally giving up and opting to ride barebacked.

I'm not sure why, but she lets me mount and ride without any of the fuss and trouble she had given Rin.

I'll think on that later, after I figure out what to do next.

Ketari's word play at the back of my mind, mixing with Links and even my own inner thoughts, everything seems to want me to tell them.

I think I will.

--------------------

Using everything that I've ever been taught since I got here I move slowly, silently, through the caverns and towards the field.

I didn't get lost once today, kind of scary really considering all the running around I did, maybe I'm getting better at this whole 'be a Sheikah' thing.

MY nerves have been on edge all day. Worrying about whatever it was that Ketari wants to tell us, and gathering up my courage for my own little announcement weighing heavily on my mind.

I open the door and step outside into the darkness and gloom, whatever sliver of moon that would have been visible covered by thick black clouds, I can smell a storm on the wind.

I move towards the group huddled at the far end of the field where Sha'doe was. Sheikan war horses can be the most vicious creatures imagined when they want to be, if anyway came within ear shot of us she'd know about it and if she did sense anyone nearby her body language would let us know about them too.

A smart place to have a meeting.

I sigh as I sit down and complete the circle, once again I'm the last one to arrive.

"Now that we're all here let's get this done as quickly as possible." Ketari says, her voice so low I have to concentrate to hear it at all. "Has anyone heard or seen anything worth reporting?"

Rin, Kris, and Tas all shake their heads.

Kayl leans forward, "I heard one of the higher ranking active arguing with someone, saying something along the lines of 'it couldn't be a Sheikah who did this, the style was wrong.' Is it anything or nothing?"

"Probably nothing, but good job, and keep your ears open for anything else, if someone is working this from the inside they've probably got outside help which would explain the style difference." I say sullenly.

When no one else says anything Ketari clears her throat to reclaim our attention, her face wearing the expressionless mask that the Sheikah use so often. "I have a suspect." She says, "When, when my mother died all her personal belongings went to me, she kept many journals about anything she felt was important, or could become important to the Sheikah. In one of these journals she targeted an active named Detsu." A couple people gasped at that, "Impa has three seconds, or had three, Aria who commands in her absences, Detsu and my mother, Dune."

Ketari takes a deep breath screwing her eyes shut, obviously not as fine with everything as she liked to pretend.

"Before my mother was killed Aria sent a message for her, asking her to come and take over as Impas replacement, she said that is Dune wouldn't take it then she'd give it to Detsu. My mother wouldn't let that happen, she had nothing solid against Detsu, just intuition I guess, but it was enough to make her mount up and run for the caverns." She took another deep breath, "that was when . . . she never made it to the caverns."

Everyone sat in silence for a long moment as Ketari composed herself once again, brushing a hand across her eyes to take away any tears that escaped her iron will.

"Is Aria going to hold command now?" Tas asked, his gaze turning to Rin.

Rin nodded gravely. "Yeah, she's accepted that with the current happenings she has to be here and has to be in control."

"We need to keep and eye on him." I growl softly, "Nothing noticeable, just find out what he does during the day, whose company he favours, where his rooms are and when he's most likely not to be in them."

"Easy enough done." Rin says, Our newly acquired chores have us running through every crevice of the caverns, we can make runs between tasks, pretending to be on way to do something, no one's gonna question us about it they'll just assume we're suppose to be there."

"And we already know he's not in the eastern caverns or the Northern, so whoever's got chores in the south and west tomorrow keep your eyes and ears sharp." Tas added.

"What if we find something useful? Should we just wait until our training hours to tell?" Kris asks.

"No," I say, "chances are there's always gonna be someone around this area during the day, I learnt this much this afternoon. This part of the caverns is usually only clear after sundown, it's why we'll be having all our meetings after dark. If you have something important to tell volunteer yourself to be first to spar with Ketari in the ring as soon as you get here for training. No one'll give that a second thought if they happen to be lurking about us."

Ketari glances around the circle when another long moment of silence descended. Her eyes resting on me with a very pointed look. "If no one else has anything to add we'd better get back to bed before anyone notices we're missing."

Silence.

They all start to stand as I sit here, frozen.

"Wait." I say, my voice very quiet, and very forced.

All eyes turn to me.

No problem Sheik, breath in breath out, just say it and get it over with.

I open my mouth . . .

And sit there, the words choking themselves off before ever reaching my lips.

I do manage to make a couple choking noises which seem to amuse the others as they watch me though.

Maybe I'd better just show them what I want to say. The spell is easy enough to take down and replace.

"I'm pretty sure I know why this is happening," my eyes glance guiltily over to Ketari, "why Dune was killed, and why she won't be the only one."

Everyone sits down again.

Here goes everything.

I close my eyes and concentrate, feeling the gentle flow of magic through my body. The intricate weaving of the spell that's been hiding me for so long.

With a careful thought I unravel it, pulling the magic away, feeling my body return to the way it should be, feeling my dress replace my uniform and my coronet replace the wrappings, feeling strangely exhilarated by it.

I hear a collective gasp from all but Ketari and a hushed but still very excited 'I knew It!' from Rin.

When I open my eyes next their blue.

Maybe it is true what they say, the truth will set you free, cause I feel a lot better with this secret at least partially exposed.

Now all I have to do is wait for the shock to wear off and deal with their reactions.

-------------------------

A/N – This chapter, as you've probably noticed, is a bit longer then my others, I'm hoping for this to be the average size of chapters from now on. I'm crossing my fingers anyway.

And there we go. Now that this 'exposure' is out of the way things will probably start speeding up some more.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Ciao!


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